What Does it Mean to be Sexually Liberated?

Sexual liberation...sexual liberation... It sounds so formal.  It sounds complex and intricate.  To the lay-person, it may seem quite complicated.  It may often seem scary or awkward to think that people that are sexually liberated are out there terrorizing the streets with their ambiguous perspectives.  However, one may be surprised to find out that they may be standing next to a sexually liberated person next to the "water cooler" or in line at your favorite fast food restaurant or grocery store. 

So here is my attempt to demystify what it means to be sexually liberated by correcting some of the unspoken rules of the mentality.

Myth #1 Sexual liberation = Promiscuity

*sighs*  I figured that we should go ahead and get this one out of the way.  Believe it or not having many sexual partners either consecutively or simultaneously is not a criteria for sexual liberation.  Crazy right!!!  How can this be?  Well...what is there to prove?  If you are sexually liberated, you are comfortable in your own sexuality.  You don't feel the need to take on partners just to prove a point.  Being promiscuous becomes a decision and not a requirement.  Often promiscuity is considered to be a product of low self-esteem or some other psychological disorder.  However, what about the people that just enjoy casual sex?  Within the realm of safety and transparency, there isn't really an issue for the people that fall under this category.  They just accept that they like sex and enjoy it.  The same goes for people that are on the other end of the spectrum...celibacy.  Liberated people can be celibate.  I know...I know...it sounds weird to use the terms "sexual" and "celibate" in the same sentence.  Stretch your minds a little.  However, if you are liberated you have nothing to prove, so your celibacy is the product of a decision that you made.  Wouldn't it be great to just decide to do something without the pressure of society?  Well...guess what...???

Myth #2 Sexual liberation = "Crazy sex"

This one was quite funny to hear about, but at the same time it is quite sad that we think this way.  While it is true that sexual liberation implies an understanding that people have certain needs, fetishes, wants, desires, and fantasies, it doesn't mean that a sexually liberated person will accept all of these things for himself or herself.  The implication of such plays a much bigger role in how society views sex that it can be quite scary.  A sexually liberated person can enjoy vanilla or missionary sex.  The key is that they know what they like and what they don't like.  They are also not going to condemn another person for he or she may or may not like.

Myth #3 Sexual liberation = the Fall of Society

As far-fetched as this sounds, with the state of our political climate, it is necessary.  Sexual liberation is not going to bring about the wrath of Sodom and Gomorrah.  Quite the contrary, I think it will save us.  The sooner we stop thinking of sex as this dirty thing, the sooner we can embrace what sex really is.  A sexually liberated person can define that for himself or herself.  A sexually liberated person doesn't feel guilty for becoming well informed about their bodies.  That in itself will eliminate a lot of problems of society. 

So now that is out of the way, "what is sexual liberation?"  In a nutshell, it is acceptance of yourself as a sexual human being in its entirety.  It involves a continuous examination into your likes, dislikes, desires, fantasies, orientations.  It involves being honest with yourself and seeing that you may like some things that are outside of the norm.  It also means finding out that you may abhor things that are considered "traditional."  It is about self-awareness.  It is about knowing who you are and being okay with it.  To put it simply...it is CONFIDENCE.